♡ Happy Birthday Bethany! ♡

Generally I blog about goofy stuff except for food allergies, and not much here takes a serious tone. If you’re reading this, I assume you already know that. A bunch has been going on with life lately, we’ve been through a whirlwind of ups & downs as things get increasingly hectic. I’ll spare you the details as my good friends & family probably already know all the stuff we have going on anyway. At any rate, that’s not the focus of this blog any way… it’s just the spark behind it.

The focus of this one is my wife, Bethany. Her Birthday is today, and with it approaching while we have many other things going on… I didn’t want it to get lost in the shuffle. I decided to make note and wish her a happy birthday here. (Someone might have to tell her about this… I don’t think she reads it much because she hears most of my ranting live without the added benefit of a filter.)

We’ve known each other for many many years and originally there was not even a remote spark of interest. We have a wide age gap, and I was a counselor when she was a camper at our church camp, Living Waters. I’m sure we talked, joked, and laughed… I even helped instruct her in Archery. Sadly for the reader, nothing creepy was going on.

Many years later we went to dinner at Ritter’s as old friends catching up (thanks to AIM of all things), and something sparked there. We generally don’t have much in common. We have wildly different personalities. We go together perfectly.

I’m glad I have found my other half. We like to laugh, and goof around with each other. We meet on common ground where things are important. Neither of us sleeps well when the other isn’t in the bed. We do enjoy cooking together, entertaining, road trips, Flogging Molly, the Ramones, Johnny Cash, & Willie Nelson. I got her quoting Star Wars, she has me inexplicably interested in Glee. We both like antiques, have an appreciation for the history of things.

We both have large & close extended families. We all fit in all around. That’s important to both of us. We’re both still actively involved with camp, it’s a very special place to us on many levels any more. We learn more about each other & ourselves with each passing year.

Bethany has brought out my sensitive side and I have given her a healthy dose of geekery & anarchy. I’m proud of her for going to school and advancing her career. I’m in awe of how she works with her special needs campers during recreation camp in the summer. It takes incredible amounts of patience and mental strength.

So to Bethany, my wife & best friend, I want to say Happy Birthday! I also want to tell you how much I love you and how glad I am that we are who we are. I am a better man for for knowing & marrying you. You are my favorite, and I’m glad we found each other.